Wanderer of Rose
by K. Griffin
Summary: A Prophecy has decided the life of Jareth, the Goblin King, since birth. And now, the same Prophecy shall claim another. Abigail Gray has only ever dreamed of magic and fantasy, but when an accidental wish is made in the midst of a storm, she will find magic has entered her life with no warning. Only a crown marks its passing. (Jareth/OC, T to be safe but may jump, no Sarah)
1. Prologue: Fairy Tales

**Full description:** ** _"Tha an leanabh an duine agus draoidheachd thig ribh bho am fearann os cionn. Bithidh i sgoltadh an speur agus aonachadh fearann. Rìgh an fhearainn tuitidh dhi, agus tuitidh na reultan bho na speuran an aon àm tha i air a chrùnadh 'Bhanrigh. Ach thoir do cheart aire an dorchadas, 's dòcha airson a ghoid air falbh i airson math."_** **  
Long, long ago, before the Thùsail Kingdom was split apart, a Prophecy was spoken. It has defined the life of Jareth, the King of the Goblins, ever since he was young, and though he thought he had found the One, he will find her where he never thought to look.  
Abigail Gray has only ever dreamed of magic and fantasy, but when her siblings get into a fight and a hasty wish is made, everything she has ever known will change and, perhaps, she shall conquer the Darkness, as well as her own heart.**

 **'Ello! I'm K. Griffin!**

 **Welcome to the Prologue of** ** _Wanderer of Rose_** **, a fanfiction inspired by the fairy tales,** ** _Beauty and the Beast_** **and** ** _Snow White_** **.**

 **Now, before I get any comments asking, this is NOT a J/S romance; it pairs Jareth with an OC of my creation and takes place after the events of** ** _Labyrinth_** **, as in my story the movie was based off of real events. Jareth will think of Sarah for a while, but he will move on - because I personally don't think that he was truly in love with her, just had a bad case of unhealthy obsession.**

 **Also, "Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa inspired the title and a large part of the story. Go check it out; it's freaking** ** _amazing_** **!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own** ** _Labyrinth_** **, though I do own a copy of the movie. Does that count? (Also own Abigail Gray, but that's kind of obvious...)**

* * *

 _ **Wanderer of Rose**_

* * *

 **Prologue  
** ** _Fairy Tales_**

* * *

Once Upon A Time . . .

Wait, wait, wait! No. I'm not having _my_ story start like that; that's lame.

With all due respect, ma'am -

Why are you calling me "ma'am"? Do I look like I'm married?

. . . My apologies, miss.

Why are you calling me "miss" now? Do I look single or something?

But you just said -

Ah, never mind that. Now, shall we start the story?

. . . Yes, Milady. Ahem. Once Upon A Time -

No, no, no! My story can't start like that!

I am not beginning with your story, Milady.

Well, why not?

Because the King's story starts before yours.

Oh. That's a good point.

Thank you.

Very, very good point indeed.

. . .

Why didn't I think of that?

. . . Milady . . .

His story _does_ begin before mine.

. . . Yes, it _does_.

But my story is more important!

. . .

So, therefore, my story should come first!

. . . Milady, with all due respect, we are behind schedule. We must start the story now.

After all, I _am_ the one who saves the day in the end!

. . . Milady, if you let me tell His Majesty's story now, you may tell your own story in any way you wish.

Oh. Really?

Yes, really.

All right, then. Deal!

Very well, then. Now, as I was saying -

 _Any_ way I want?

. . . Yes.

No matter what?

 _Yes_.

Are you sure?

 _Yes!_ Now, may I _please_ start!?

'Course. Go on, then.

. . . Thank you. Now, ahem, as I was saying: Once Upon A Time -

Why do you start like that?

Because -

Is it a fairy tale or something?

In a manner of speaking -

'Cause that's a really cliche way to start a fairy tale.

. . .

 _Every_ fairy tale starts like that, it seems.

. . . Would you _please_ shut up!?

. . .

Thank you.

. . . Why?

Argh! That's _it!_ Where the _Hell_ is the duct tape!

. . .

 _You deserved that._

I know.

* * *

There. Done!

Mmph-mmph!

Now, where was I?

Mmph-mmph-mm-mm.

Ah, that's right. Once Upon A Time, In A Land Far, Far Away, there was a man.

Mmph.

But this man was no ordinary man.

Mmph?

He was a Prince, soon to be a King!

Mm!

But the Kingdom this Prince was to inherit was admittedly doomed.

Mm?

The Kingdom's enemies from the North and the South had begun to invade, bringing with them the threat of a war their weak army could not survive.

Mm!

And the Kingdom's allies from the East and the West refused to help them against the invaders.

Mmph?

No one knew why, but their crops had begun to die rapidly, leading to a mass starvation. And as if that wasn't enough, the rivers had begun to dry up and a Plague was in the process of sweeping through the land, killing all regardless of gender, social status, or species.

Mm . . .

The Prince, desperate to heal his broken Kingdom and save it after his father, the King, was consumed by the Plague, went to the neighboring Kingdom of Fae. He requested audience with their High Queen, known to be favorable only when in a certain mood, but despite the rumors, she was the best hope the Prince had. So he went and begged for the Fae's help with his own Kingdom's problems.

Mmph!

The High Queen awarded the Prince with three impossible tasks, saying that only after he had completed all of them successfully would she consider such a concept. She also added that she would marry him if he succeeded.

Mm!

The Prince went on and completed each impossible task, moving forward only by the force of his loyalty to the Kingdom he was to rule.

Mmph! Mmph mm!

The Queen was moved by his continued efforts, even when the whole world seemed against him, and so she healed his broken Kingdom and offered a unison of their two Kingdoms solidified by their wedding.

Mm . . .

The Prince accepted, and the two were wedded at Autumn's Height.

Mm?

Autumn's Height is what you humans call the Fall Equinox.

Mm . . .

As I was saying, the united Kingdoms were henceforth known as Thùsail, and the powerful Kingdom lasted for centuries.

Mm.

However, nothing truly lasts forever, and Thùsail was split apart when the Seer spouted the Prophecy.

Mmph?

The Kingdom was split into the Four Great Courts. The Court of Spring, the Court of Summer, the Court of Autumn, and the Court of Winter. Within the Four Courts, there are a plethora of Kingdoms, but the Courts are all ruled by the High Kings and Queens, whom the Kings and Queens of the other Kingdoms must always bow to.

Mmph-mm.

However, our story is, for the most part, unaffected by the Seasonal Courts and, instead, focuses upon one Kingdom in particular: the Goblin Kingdom.

Mmph! Mmph! Mm!

Our story begins at the very start of the Goblin Kingdom, but as the history is far too long and far too complicated to explain within the allotted time, I shall merely give you a basic overview.

Mm!

The Goblin Kingdom started as a safe-haven for all children who were unwanted and unloved, a simple collection of huts and hovels that had been gifted to the first Goblin Queen, Fuàdæn, by the High King of the Autumn Court, his name lost to history. The collection of huts grew, of course, with Queen Fuàdæn's magic **(1)** and help from the High King, and eventually, a castle was built in the center of a great maze, designed to challenge any who would reclaim the lost children. The High King and Queen Fuàdæn fell in love, bonded by Magick **(2)** in the most wholesome of bonds, and Fuàdæn was chosen by Magick to become the new High Queen of the Autumn Court.

. . .

However, a vindictive sorceress who had hoped the honor of becoming High Queen would fall to her grew enraged at the audacity of the new High Queen of the Autumn Court, who refused to leave the castle in the center of the maze to protect the lost children. And so, the sorceress gathered all of her magic and cast a horrid spell, one that tainted the aegis of protection High Queen Fuàdæn had cast over her Kingdom, forcing any lost children who were not saved by their family to be turned into Goblins.

Mmph! Mmph! Mmph! Mm!

Yes, I know; it was a horrid thing to do.

Mm.

Ahem, anyway, so despite the sorceress' meddling, High Queen Fuàdæn did not leave her Kingdom, now dubbed the Kingdom of Goblins, and, instead, adapted to the change and cherished her subjects the same, regardless of their new forms.

Mm-mm-mm.

Yes, she was a wonderful Queen. Now, the sorceress, still determined to ruin High Queen Fuàdæn, summoned an elemental spirit and ordered it to destroy the castle and High Queen Fuàdæn with it. What she did not know was that, regardless of summoning the elemental, she did not control it.

Mmm . . .

The elemental was a powerful one, and she was enraged at both the orders and the darkness of the sorceress' soul. Instead of completing her task, she stole the sorceress' magic and bound herself to the maze surrounding High Queen Fuàdæn's Kingdom, creating the Labyrinth that exists today.

Mm mmph mm mm mmph?

The sorceress withered away without her magic, and she passed into the Void.

Mm mm mmph?

High Queen Fuàdæn and her husband lived very happily together for many years and had many children before they, too, traveled into the Void together. Their descendants rule the Goblin Kingdom to this day.

Mmph-mm!

Yes, him.

. . . Mmph mm mmph mm mmph mm?

Yes, you may.

. . .

. . .

Mmph mm mm-mmph?

Oh. Right.

* * *

Ah, it's so nice to be able to talk without that stupid piece of tape obstructing my mouth!

You had no problem making comments, with or without the tape.

Hey, it's my turn now!

Yes, Milady.

Okay, so, my story is not nearly as long as hers, nor is it so fantastical and inspirational and magical. Mine is rather boring in comparison.

I'll say.

I'll duct-tape _your_ mouth shut if you don't let me tell my story.

. . .

 _Without_ your comments.

Very well, Milady.

Thank you.

. . .

Now, as I was saying, my story isn't nearly like hers - well, except for the very beginning. But the rest of the story more than makes up for the slightly extraordinary beginning, making my story almost entirely dull and boring.

. . .

However, in order to understand everything that will be recorded in this tome, I must tell you my story all the same. Please, do not forget, though, that magic is not so heavily a part of my story as it it hers.

. . .

My story begins with the Labyrinth, and its infinitely powerful sentient spirit. In a time far before my life had begun, or even been thought of - the same for you as well, the spirit of the Labyrinth was overjoyed, for a multitude of reasons.

. . .

First, the current Goblin King had finally been given an heir, after years of trying with his Queen, and the resulting child was a healthy boy, one that the Labyrinth knew would become a powerful King one day. Peering into the babe's future, it saw nothing but good fortune and happiness in his reign, and beyond. The child, it knew, would be an excellent King of the Kingdom he was to inherit.

. . .

The second reason why the spirit of the Labyrinth was so happy was almost better, in its eyes; it had found the Child of Prophecy, the one destined to become the greatest Queen the Seasonal Courts had ever seen. True, the child had not yet been born and would not be born for quite some time, but, at last, the Labyrinth had found the child.

. . .

It gathered its magic, honing its sight into the future, and it began to craft its chosen child, a perfect match for the newborn Prince in every way imaginable. A girl, with skin fair as snow, lips red as blood, hair brown as chestnut tree. It gave her an indomitable spirit and bright, fiery green eyes to match. It crafted her with a penchant for magic and fantasy, a childish faith in that which cannot be explained. It gave her mental fortitude incomprehensible, inner fire eternal, passions unending, wit undying, tongue sharp as sharpened blade, but most of all, it gave her kindness and selflessness of which the world had never before seen.

. . .

Once that was done, the Labyrinth shrouded the child of its own creation in itself until the time came when it would be born. And when that time came, the child's parents were chosen carefully, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of humans scanned to find the perfect pair. At last, it found them, Joseph and Andrea Gray.

. . .

Having been married for not quite three years and still wholly in love with one another, they were the perfect choice. And so, the Labyrinth wrought its magic and settled its babe within Andrea's womb, mixing Magick and humanity into something that was not quite either yet both at the same time. The Child of Prophecy was hence born, without any fanfare or awards to be seen.

. . .

And it would remain that way until I, Abigail Gray, turned 17. Then . . . everything changed.

. . . Well said.

Shut up.

Yes, Milady.

 _You deserved that._

I know.

* * *

 **Next time on** _ **Wanderer of Rose**_ **:**

 _. . ._ _a flash of movement catches my eye and draws my attention. It disappears, though, gone in an instant; I carefully scan the blue skies peeking over the roof of the next-door building for the source of the movement I had spotted previously, but I find nothing. I am just about to give up when a tawny barn owl swoops by, in broad daylight._

 _"We both saw that owl?" I begin, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, and he nods.  
_ _"Yeah, I saw it." He looks over at me as we start to walk up the stairs, passing by laughing, rough-housing classmates. He makes a face when one of the stereotypical jocks almost bumps into me, glaring harshly at him - protective as always, but I shush him. "Aren't owls supposed to be nocturnal?"  
_ _"Yup," I reply, popping the 'P' as I turn to go up the second flight of stairs. I have to push a few people aside to make it up, garnering a few grumbles that Noah silences with another harsh glare. "Generally."  
_ _"But that's not what's concerning you," he guesses, trailing after me. "And it's not the Bell, is it?"_

 _This girl - nay, this_ woman _, for she possesses a captivating, worldly yet otherworldly, womanly beauty, the kind of which his Sarah never had - never had the chance to have._

 _With a jolt, Jareth realizes his turn in thoughts and curses mentally, hurriedly opening a portal back to his Labyrinth. **Never again,** he vows to himself, giving the lovely woman one last, appraising glance over his shoulder. **Never again.**_

 _"Good luck," he says sincerely, wishing me the best in the hardships that are sure to come.  
_ _Because laying on the pavement, in the shadow of the neighboring building, is a feather. A tawny barn owl feather._

* * *

 **1 & 2: Magic VS Magick - In case you didn't realize by the variant spelling and capitalization, magic and Magick are two completely different things. They are similar, yes, as they both are unnatural by human logic, but they are still completely different. Magic is defined as the power within one's soul to break the laws of physics that define their particular world or elsewise do something that is highly illogical to happen; every person who possesses magic has a different type, a different variety or flavor - something keyed to who they are as a person. Meanwhile, Magick is the over-arcing power within the different Realms; Magick is sentient and can do everything that magic can, though it belongs to no one. On occasion, some may harness the power within Magick, but Magick will never belong to one person. Get the difference? (In all reality, though, if you're confused, PM me or comment below and I'll try to explain it some more.)**

 **And done!**

 **I finally finished it! You guys have no idea how long it took me to write this. It demanded to be written, but it just wouldn't come out, you know? God, this story is so freaking stubborn.**

 **But, anyway, it's complete now. Feel free to let me know what you think. ;)**

 **~Please leave a contribution in the little box.~**


	2. Chapter 1: Pandora's Box

**Whoo! Welcome back to** ** _Wanderer of Rose_** **!**

 **I'm your host, K. Griffin, and with me today, I have . . . bum-bum-bum! Sarah Williams!**

 **Now, while it is true that Sarah isn't _technically_ a part of the story, she does play a role. Wouldn't you agree?**

 **Sarah: Unfortunately. *sighs* At least you're not pairing me up with _His Majesty_ like most of the other authors on the site.*rolls her eyes***

 **Well, what do you think about your competition for the Goblin King's affection? And don't be afraid to say his name; I've taken precautions - he won't be coming in and disturbing us anytime soon. Not unless I let him. Which I may.**

 **Sarah: *massaging her temples* Please don't. I don't think I'm up to dealing with _His Royal Brattiness_ today. And what do you mean competition? *sighs deeply, dropping hand back into lap* I have no interest in claiming the Goblin King's attention. Your OC, created in your image, can hog him to her heart's content.**

 **I'm wounded! You think so little of me and Abigail!**

 **Sarah: *deadpanning* Kat, you and Abigail are the same person. While you might fool other people, you can't fool me.**

 **Not trying to. *huffs***

 **Sarah: *chuckles despite herself***

 ***clears throat* Ahem. But, really, what do you think about Abigail Gray? What are your opinions of her so far?**

 **Sarah: *sitting up straight, folding her hands in her lap* While I haven't seen very much of Abigail so far, I do admire her. She's gone through a lot - a lot of it, I'm sure, inspired by your own struggles in life.**

 ***shrugs nonchalantly* What can I say? It's therapeutic.**

 **Sarah: Anyway, so she's gone through a lot, but she's still remained pretty strong. And while you paint that as being caused by the Labyrinth shaping her from the very beginning, it's still a very admirable trait to have - the ability to remain steadfast and strong, even when the world is very nearly falling 'round your ears.**

 ***taking notes, nodding, smiling* Anything else? *clicks pen***

 **Sarah: *slightly amused smile* Well, I really enjoy Abigail's wit and sarcasm. And just the way she interacts with those around her, loved ones and otherwise. It's really interesting to see her friendships and how different they are from the way they seem to be in the beginning. I mean -**

 ***covers her mouth* Sorry, Sarah, but spoilers!**

 **Sarah: *nods her head begrudgingly, glaring at me***

 ***pulls back* Anyway, though, it's about time to wrap this up. Feel like saying the disclaimer for me?**

 **Sarah: Why not? *turns to the camera* Kat, or K. Griffin as she likes to be called, does not own _Labyrinth_. I, and _His Royal Brattiness_ , belong to Jim Henson. But K. Griffin does own an anniversary edition copy of the movie, plus all of the rights to one Abigail Gray belong solely to her. *shoots me a teasingly amused look* And I'm sure that she wouldn't appreciate it if you were to try to steal her ideas***

 ***nods vehemently* No kidding! Well, you heard the lady! Now, let's get this party started!**

 ***curtains roll down***

* * *

 _ **Wanderer of Rose**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
 _Pandora's Box_  
**

* * *

 **Last time on _Wanderer of Rose_ :**

 _My story begins with the Labyrinth, and its infinitely powerful sentient spirit. In a time far before my life had begun, or even been thought of - the same for you as well, the spirit of the Labyrinth was overjoyed, for a multitude of reasons.  
First, the current Goblin King had finally been given an heir, after years of trying with his Queen, and the resulting child was a healthy boy, one that the Labyrinth knew would become a powerful King one day. Peering into the babe's future, it saw nothing but good fortune and happiness in his reign, and beyond. The child, it knew, would be an excellent King of the Kingdom he was to inherit.  
The second reason why the spirit of the Labyrinth was so happy was almost better, in its eyes; it had found the Child of Prophecy, the one destined to become the greatest Queen the Seasonal Courts had ever seen. True, the child had not yet been born and would not be born for quite some time, but, at last, the Labyrinth had found the child.  
It gathered its magic, honing its sight into the future, and it began to craft its chosen child, a perfect match for the newborn Prince in every way imaginable. A girl, with skin fair as snow, lips red as blood, hair brown as chestnut tree. It gave her an indomitable spirit and bright, fiery green eyes to match. It crafted her with a penchant for magic and fantasy, a childish faith in that which cannot be explained. It gave her mental fortitude incomprehensible, inner fire eternal, passions unending, wit undying, tongue sharp as sharpened blade, but most of all, it gave her kindness and selflessness of which the world had never before seen.  
Once that was done, the Labyrinth shrouded the child of its own creation in itself until the time came when it would be born. And when that time came, the child's parents were chosen carefully, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of humans scanned to find the perfect pair. At last, it found them, Joseph and Andrea Gray.  
Having been married for not quite three years and still wholly in love with one another, they were the perfect choice. And so, the Labyrinth wrought its magic and settled its babe within Andrea's womb, mixing Magick and humanity into something that was not quite either yet both at the same time. The Child of Prophecy was hence born, without any fanfare or awards to be seen.  
And it would remain that way until I, Abigail Gray, turned 17. Then . . . everything changed.  
_

* * *

I yawn deeply, my mouth opening so wide that, for a moment, I am afraid my jaw will unhinge. However, the yawn ends without any pain or unhinging of my jaw, and my mouth closes of its own accord, my teeth clicking together audibly.

From across the room, sitting in his own uncomfortable, plastic and metal desk, Noah sends me an amused look, his dark eyes dancing with mischief and taunting joy, as the teacher, Mrs. Cole, pops up right next to me. She glares at me something fierce for my disregard of her class, something she's never been very happy about in my behavior; still, though, her anger hasn't stopped me from daydreaming and staring out of the window and writing in her class. It's actually heightened it.

So I just smile sweetly at her, praying to God that her blood-pressure will get too much for her and she'll leave me alone again as I wipe the involuntary tears away. I pointedly turn away from her, hoping that she'll get the hint that I'm not in the mood for her bull-shit. I give Noah a quick, second-long, mischievous grin before finally turning all the way in my chair to stare out of the window.

I can feel Mrs. Cole's annoyed glare still fixed on my back, burning white-hot into me, but I simply ignore her, walking back as she gives up on me, as a flash of movement catches my eye and draws my attention. It disappears, though, gone in an instant; I carefully scan the blue skies peeking over the roof of the next-door building for the source of the movement I had spotted previously, but I find nothing. I am just about to give up when a tawny barn owl swoops by, in broad daylight.

I flinch back from the window, stiffening into a mockery of a stone statue. I know that owl. I know it, with its white and tawny brown feathers, its lengthy wings, its elegant head. I didn't see its eyes when it flew by, but I have a sneaking suspicion one is icy blue and the other a murky, golden brown.

My heart audibly pounding in my ears, I glance over at Noah, looking to confirm that I hadn't imagined the nocturnal avian flying by in broad daylight - as I had imagined so many other things in the past. His incredulous, shocked look, with wide brown eyes and an ajar mouth, confirms that I wasn't the only one to witness the atypical owl's flight; he looks over at me, seeking the same confirmation of his sanity I had sought from him, and I nodded, my lips pursed into a tight, thin line.

"Miss Gray . . ." Mrs. Cole begins, just before the shrill bell rings - ending 5th period and setting us all free from her tyrannical rule.

I bite my lip _hard_ to force back my victorious grin, but even with the pain and threat of drawing blood, it is a hard-fought battle to remain nonchalant. "Sorry, Mrs. C," I say with the mock sincerity that always gets on her nerves, packing all of my belongings up into my backpack or scooping them into my arms. "Gotta dash. Ms. Mai awaits."

She glares fiercely at me, her tired, wrinkled brown eyes full of undying hatred and anger; she's obviously pissed at me, and I can only imagine how much she wants to keep me here and yell at me and scold me and punish me. But she doesn't have a choice - she has to let me get to my next class, otherwise face the combined rage of the principal, my parents, and Ms. Mai. And, trust me, Ms. Mai is scary when she's angry.

So she lets me by, scowling so darkly I wonder if her hatred of me hasn't knocked a decade or two off of her life-span. But despite my wondering, I breeze by her, striding out of the small, tacky classroom to meet Noah who waits for me in the hallway.

My dark-haired friend begins to walk with me as I pass him, and I instinctively fall in-step with him, causing him to laugh quietly and shoot me a teasing grin. I laugh a little as well, but the mirth fades from the both us all too quickly as we recall what has just happened.

"We both saw that owl?" I begin, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, and he nods.

"Yeah, I saw it." He looks over at me as we start to walk up the stairs, passing by laughing, rough-housing classmates. He makes a face when one of the stereotypical jocks almost bumps into me, glaring harshly at him - protective as always, but I shush him. "Aren't owls supposed to be nocturnal?"

"Yup," I reply, popping the 'P' as I turn to go up the second flight of stairs. I have to push a few people aside to make it up, garnering a few grumbles that Noah silences with another harsh glare. "Generally."

"But that's not what's concerning you," he guesses, trailing after me. "And it's not the Bell, is it?" **(1)**

I shake my head. "It hasn't started ringing," I say, and his lips twitch upwards into a dark, humorless grin.

"Yet," he says, and I nod.

"I know that owl," I say after a moment of hesitation - as way of explanation as I weave my way through the tight crowd of seniors crowding the hallway. "I've seen it before, and I know you have, too."

An expression of bewilderment crosses his face, the wheels inside of his head beginning to whirl as he ponders my statement - no doubt wondering what we both know of that will worry me but won't set the Bell off. But as we break free of the crowd, he realizes what I'm trying to say. He laughs shortly, curtly, and I can almost _taste_ his disbelief. "No," he says, shaking his head. "No way. There's no way."

I stop in my tracks and whirl around, ignoring the wince he makes when he sees my face. "Are you calling me crazy?" I demand, and he winces again, knowing why my usually illusive short-temper has made an appearance. I jab my finger into his chest all the same, though. "I know what I saw, and you clearly saw the same thing - or else you wouldn't be in denial. Besides, you've believed me all along about the Bell, so why not this?"

For a moment, there is silence, and then Noah lowers his head.

"Do you really think it was _him_?" he asks, and, turning on my heel, I laugh humorlessly.

"God, I really hope not," I say as we near the classroom, running a hand through my curtain of fiery red hair parted to the left. "But knowing my luck . . ." I trail off meaningfully, shrugging, and he gets the point.

"Well," he says, speeding up to walk beside me as we come upon our destination, "it's a good thing I'm here, or else the Goblin King might come and try to take _you_ away."

I laugh, trying my best not to snort. I fail miserably. "As if," I reply, covering my mouth with my hand, and Noah nudges my shoulder as we both walk in through the door, greeting Ms. Mai cheerfully.

* * *

 _By the North Star, that was entirely too close,_ Jareth, the Goblin King, thinks to himself, still in owl form.

He had been bored of sitting in his castle with nothing to do. No wishes had been made, and even if they had, he probably wouldn't have answered them either way. Ever since _she_ , his Sarah, had won against him and all of his secrets had been spilled to those foolish mortal authors, he has gotten too many wishes to deal with, most of them with no true meaning behind them. And so his contract with the Labyrinth, dictating that he must take any child wished away to him, has been rewritten to accommodate the foolish mortal wishers.

Even with the ability to choose which wishes he will answer, Jareth has grown increasingly tired of ruling the Goblin Kingdom. So, out of boredom and wishing to escape his own personal reality for a while, he has come to the human realm to wander, observe the mortals as they lived their too-short lives in oblivious peace.

And now, to make matters worse beyond his frustration and boredom, he has been seen. By multiple humans, though what invokes his ire the most is that _she_ had seen him, noticed him so easily. The girl who must be the second coming of his darling Sarah, she saw him. And judging by the look in her bespectacled, green eyes, she recognized him, too.

This girl, his Sarah reborn, is far too observant for her own good, for his own benefit.

But as he watches her from his new perch in a hidden alcove, she bustling about a new classroom, up on the second floor, he starts to notice little differences, between this girl and his Sarah, little things that set her apart.

His Sarah had always kept her hair long and never did anything with it, just letting it hang in straight, chocolate tresses; this new girl, she has her hair cut short, close to her scalp, in a style he'd heard called a pixie cut, with a short swoop of bangs parted to the left across her forehead, and he could see a deeply-hued crimson color painted over her naturally dark hair, the color like fire beneath the artificial lights of the classroom. His Sarah had perfect vision - she never needed glasses in any of her years alive, but this new girl, she is not so lucky; she wears large glasses, the shape of the frames a mix between a square and a circle and the plastic of the frames decorated with a candy-like swirl of colors: sugary pink, electric blue, and a reddish-plum purple.

And as this new girl removes her glasses, he notices the greatest difference between the two. His Sarah, her green eyes were silvery, like the leaf of a tree in summer's throes that had been caught in a flash-freeze and had been painted with thick, elegant curls of frost. But this new girl, her eyes, green as Sarah's (if not more so), are different; where Sarah's eyes had been silvery green, this girl's eyes are a golden green, her irises decorated with a multitude of small flecks of gold that remind him of a forest dappled butterscotch and umber by the sun.

This new girl's behavior and attitude, too, are different from his Sarah's. His Sarah, she was always shy and unsure, uncomfortable in her own skin - even after defeating him and his Labyrinth. However, the new girl is entirely confident and comfortable in her own skin; she's sure of who she is, and her surety shows through the way she walks and the way she carries herself. She also has a certain calmness to her, a serenity that almost captivates him as she awards the teacher and all of the students gentle, sweet smiles as she dances her way around the classroom. And there is another difference, the way they walk: his Sarah was always clumsy, disjointed when she walked or ran, but this girl, despite her left leg's slight limp, is graceful in her every move, dancing and weaving her way through the maze of students, tables, chairs, and desks. This girl - nay, this _woman_ , for she possesses a captivating, worldly yet otherworldly, womanly beauty, the kind of which his Sarah never had - never had the chance to have.

This woman, she has an elegant beauty within her naturally crimson, full lips, with her perfect cupid's bow; within her almond-shaped eyes with long, thick, dark lashes framing them perfectly; within her heart-shaped face, with high, elfin cheekbones he has not seen worn better by any Fae; within her naturally arched brows, the color of the wood of a chestnut tree; within her spiky pixie cut and her swoop of bangs she is always running her hand through absentmindedly, as if not noticing she is doing it in the first place; within her style of dress, with her white blouse emblazoned with a black, bleeding heart and iron spikes on leather pads on her shoulders, a pair of tight crimson jeans, and a pair of black, shin-high, lace-up combat boots.

With a jolt, Jareth realizes his turn in thoughts and curses mentally, hurriedly opening a portal back to his Labyrinth. _Never again,_ he vows to himself, giving the lovely woman one last, appraising glance over his shoulder. _Never again._

Then, in a flurry of feathers, he's gone.

* * *

Coming out of the side door in the school, into the courtyard we wait in for the buses to come and take us home, I'm humming, cheerful and just generally in an awesome mood. But upon seeing it, I stop in my tracks.

Noah walks out of the door, right behind me, and, not seeing that I have stopped, he walks right into me; I rock forward but give no other response to the collision. He, on the other hand, grunts and the impact and grumbles a bit, all in good nature, before apologizing for the mistake. But I still do not reply, nor do I turn to look at him.

Likely bewildered at my abnormal behavior, Noah looks around for the source, already knowing that it isn't the Bell. When he looks in the same direction I am, he laughs without humor and claps me on the shoulder. "Good luck," he says sincerely, wishing me the best in the hardships that are sure to come.

Because laying on the pavement, in the shadow of the neighboring building, is a feather. A tawny barn owl feather.

* * *

 **Next time on _Wanderer of Rose_ :**

 _ **He** was there, at my school, watching someone. The same **he** that drove my great-aunt to insanity and caused her to commit suicide at the end of all of it._

 _. . ._ _despite never having known my great-aunt, I feel some sort of kinship to her, a sort of wordless bond that transcends knowing one another. I wonder if she and I would be close, had she survived the torment **he** bestowed upon her.  
And now, it seems as though **he** has found an interest in me, as well.  
_

 _She shakes her head, shaking with silent laughter, and curls up against his chest, melting into him with hardly a protest, and his arms wrap around her in firm but comfortable tightness as she idly traces invisible patterns on his leather breastplate. Then, randomly, she leans up and presses a demure, coy open-mouth kiss against his neck, her lips like satin petals. Again, he shivers pleasantly at the feeling, and, weaving his fingers through her silk-like hair, he pulls her face upwards and touches his lips to hers._

 _The beautiful woman smiles and kisses the dark-haired boy's forehead, causing the Goblin King to growl once more, and, in a fit of explosive rage, he hurls the crystal at the wall opposite him.  
_ _It shatters on impact, and the King of the Goblins does not see the dark-haired boy kiss another boy and give the woman an awkward, one-armed hug, calling her his 'sister'._

 _ **Well, leannan,** she replies in her sweetly musical, ethereal voice, **you'd best keep listening to the Bell - it shall toll only once.** **A** **nd words have power**.  
_ _My heart sinks into my stomach at her grim tone, and I check on the Bell once more; it is still silent, but Chuartan has confirmed my worries. Something is coming. And it isn't going to be good._

* * *

 **1: The Bell - A concept which I hope is unique but probably isn't. I may explain more in later chapters, if you guys need it, but for now, I'll say this: it is exactly what it sounds like, yet different.**

 **Completed!**

 **If anyone is reading this, feel free to let me know what you think of the story so far.**

 **Bye!**


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